Washing-machine.



No. 7l6,580. Patented BBC-.23, I902.

H. m. RICHARDSON.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 13, 1901.). (No Model.)

illmmllll 2 my improved machine.

ll] TTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE M. RICHARDSON, OF BALDWIN, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO FRED D. HARDING, OF BALDWIN, MAINE.

WASHING SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.1716,580, dated December 1902- Application filed December is, is

10 skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in washing-machines. It is designed to make a machine which is compact, readily applied to r 5 tubs of various sizes and shapes, readily removable from the tub, and collapsible, so as to occupy little space when not in use, efficient in operation, and comparatively inexpensive.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and making a part of this application, Figure 1 shows a tub with parts broken out, showing the position of my improved machine in perspective therein. Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 3 is a side elevation, the dotted lines showing the position of the parts when folded. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the piston and piston-box. Fig. 5 is a side View of the soap- 3o box, the door being shown open; and Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the piston-blades and delivery-spout, parts of the end bar through which the spout passes being broken away to show the means for spreading the water.

Sameletters of reference refer to like parts. In said drawings, A represents a suitable stand upon which a washtub B is supported. The washing-machine consists of a scrubbing-board (J, secured to the top of side bars D, the scrubbing-board being corrugated and formed on the arc of a circle of large diame-' ter. Secured to the side bars, at some distance in front of the scrubbing-board, are uprights E. Pivotally secured to said uprights is a swinging frame F, consisting of side bars G and cross-bars H and I. The cross-bar H has its ends H projecting through Vertical slots J in the uprights, said frame being adapted to have a swinging motion. In the sides of the swinging frame, near the bottom, is journaled a corrugated scrubbing-roller K.

b1. Serial No. 85,825. (No model.)

The corrugations K inzthe scrubbing-roller are adapted to register with the corrugations C in the board as the scrubbing-roller traverses the board. Coil-springs L, secured to the ends of the cross-bar H and to said uprights, tend constantly to force the swinging frame downwardly and hold the scrubbingroller closely upon the scrubbing-board. To make the machine collapsible, the uprights are pivotally secured to the side bars which support the scrubbing-board and are locked in upright position by means of swinging latches M, pivoted to the end bar and adapted to engage lugs N at the sides of the uprights. Extending between the side bars which support the scrubbing-board and uprights is an end bar or bracket 0. Attached to end bar 0 is a piston-box P, in the bottom of which is a port opening into a spout Q, which extends upwardly and thence through the end bar, terminating on the inside thereof in a position so that water forced there through will be thrown upon the scrubbingboard. The orifice of this spout is wide and thin, and the outer edges are curved, as seen at Q, so that the water if forced through the spout is freed from the spout at the outer edges quicker than it is at the center and taking the direction of least resistance tends to spread out laterally somewhat as it is delivered, as shown in Fig. 6, thus with a comentire surface of the board. Pivotally mounted upon said end bar is a lever B, to which is secured a piston-rod consisting of a vertical section S and a horizontal section S the horizontal section carrying a piston consisting of two blades S S, extending in opposite directions across the box and pivotally se cured to the piston-rod by means of supports S the piston when unobstructed being insufficient to close the entire area of the piston-box, but when descending against a body of water in the piston-box being adapted to spread apart, and thus close the box, forcing the water through the spout Q and out upon the scrubbing-board. One end of the lever which supports the piston is connected to the end bar by a coil-spring T, which tends to draw the piston up in the box. A flexible chain U connects the other end of the pistonarativel narrow orifice commandin the P 3 e lever with some part of the swinging frame F, as bar I, or with a coil-spring W, interposed between said bar I and the end of the chain. For convenience in adjusting the length of the chain, and consequently the amount of water thrown upon the board and the force with which it is thrown, the chain is removably connected to a hook U, carried by the coil-spring, by placing any one of the links of the chain upon said hook. The chain passes around an antifriction-pulley V in the end bar. This spring W yields to accommodate the length of the connection between the lever and swinging frame when the uprights which carry the swinging frame are folded down upon the board. It also serves to permit the chain connection to lengthen when articles of unusual thickness are being washed, which causes the swinging frame to rise relative to the uprights. It also permits the swing- "ing frame to be drawn back to some extent after the piston has reached the bottom of the piston-box, thus permitting a greater range of the scrubbing-roller. At one side a chain X connects the swinging frame and uprights and limits the backward movement of said swinging frame. The water which gathers in the corrugations in the scrubbing-board beneath the clothes when the roller passes over the clothes, taking the line of least resistance, is forced violently in a lateral direction from the grooves. The lower extremities Y of the sides of the swinging frame extend somewhat below the corrugations in the scrubbingboard, so that the water forced out laterally from the grooves in the scrubbing-board is thrown against the ends of the swinging frame and directed back onto the board or to the bottom of the tub, thus preventing water from being squirted out of the grooves in the scrubbing-board by the scrubbingroller against the sides of the tub and thence spattering the operator.

Secured to cross-barI in the swinging frame is a box I, open at the bottom and adapted to contain a cake of soap, which rests upon the corrugated roller. In this box, at one side, is a weak spring Z, extending angularly downwardly toward the center of the box and which partially supports the soap, thus regulating the amount used, the soap not resting with its whole weight upon the roller.

The side bars G are provided with slidable extensions G, secured to the end thereof by means of set-screws G passing through slots G and secured in said bars. By adjusting said slidable extensions the machine may be adjusted, to fit in tubs of varying size, or the angle at which the machine sits in the tub can be regulated.

I The piston-box should extend up high enough to prevent all danger of the piston leaving the box; but at the same time it is desirable that the water should enter the box at as low a level as possible. I therefore perforate the upper part of the piston-box, as seen at B.

It is also desirable that the water in the tub should circulate freely in front of the end bar, and as the end barmakes a more or less complete closure between it and the tub in front of it I make perforations E in said end bar to admit water therethrough.

' The swinging frame swings between the uprights, and when the ends of said frame extend below the scrubbing-board it becomes necessary to space the uprights apart from the side bars. This I do by inserting spacing-blocks D between the said side bars and uprights.

The operation of my improved washing-ma chine is as follows: The clothes are placed upon the scrubbingboard and the roller caused to traverse the clothes upon the board, forcing the'water through the clothes into the grooves in the board. When the swinging frame is drawn way back, the piston descends in the pistonbox and forces a stream of water out of the delivery-spout upon the clothes upon the board. The backward movement of the swinging frame is limited by the chain connection between the upright and the swinging frame. The chain which connects the end of the lever which operates the piston and the swinging frame is flexible, so that the piston is only operated after the swinging frame is drawn back a predetermined distance, thus during the major part of the operation of washing rendering the water-supplying mechanism inoperative. The water enters the piston-box from above the piston. The piston only operates to force water through the spout when moving downward, and fora considerable distance the movement of the swinging frame by reason of the flexible connection between it and the piston-operating lever has no effect upon the piston. The piston is moved up automatically and independently of the swinging frame.

The side bars and scrubbing-board when in position incline downwardly and forwardly.

.The uprights are set in front of the board,

and thus, as is evident, the swinging frame and scrubbing-roller will automatically pass from the board and out of the way of the op erator when not in use."

Having thus described my invention and its use, I claim-- 1. In a washing machine, a scrubbingboard, a scrubbing roller and supportingframe therefor adapted to have a reciprocating motion over said board, a piston-box having a spout adapted to deliver a stream of water upon said board, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said box, a lever for operating said piston, means for automatically moving said piston up and a flexible chain connecting said piston-operating lever and said roller-supporting frame to move said piston down,said chain being longer than the distance between the end of the lever and the roller-supporting frame when said frame is in its normal position.

2. In a washing machine, a scrubbingboard, a scrubbingroller and supportingframe therefor adapted to have a reciprocating motion over said board, a piston-box having a spout adapted to deliver a stream of water upon said board, a piston adapted to reciprocate in said box, a lever for operating said piston, means for automatically moving said piston-operating lever upward and a flexible and elastic connection between the end of said piston-operating lever and said rollercarrying frame to move said piston down, said flexible and elastic connection being somewhat longer than the distance between the end of said lever and said frame when said frame is in its normal position.

3. In a washing-machine, a supportingframe, a scrubbing-board mounted thereon, uprights secured to said frame and provided with vertical slotsin the upper end thereof, a swinging frame pivotally mounted in said slots and carrying a rotary scrubber at its lower extremity, springs connecting said swinging frame and said uprights tending normally to hold said swinging frame down in the bottom of said slots, a flexible chain connecting said uprights to said swinging frame adapted to permit backward movement of the frame to a predetermined distance, mechanism for throwing a stream of water upon said scrubbing-board, a flexible and elastic connection between said swinging frame and said water-throwing mechanism, said flexible and elastic connection and said springs cooperating to permit the swinging frame to rise When articles of unusual thickness are being Washed and at the same time to permit it to be drawn back to a distance limited by the connection between the uprights and swinging frame.

4C. In a washing-machine, side bars, acorrugated scrubbing-board having the'grooves open at their ends mounted upon said side bars, uprights secured to the outside of said side bars and spaced therefrom, a swinging frame pivotally mounted upon said uprights, a rotary scrubbing-roller pivotally mounted near the lower part of the swinging frame, the lower extremities of said swinging frame extending down below and adjacent to the ends of the grooves in said corrugated scrubhing-board.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto set my hand this 2d dayof December, A. D. 1901.

HORACE M. RICHARDSON.

In presence of ELGIN C. VERRILL. NATHAN CLIFFORD. 

